A family penthouse with mirror TVs and DJ stations
Opulent finishes and carefully planned integrated tech make this modern penthouse overlooking the Dubai Eye a luxurious place to live.
The property is home to a couple with two children who were keen to kit out the interior with relevant, fun and easily accessible gadgets. To help them subtly install tech for home security, lighting and entertainment into their interior scheme they called upon the help of AV and automation company Archimedia.
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Take a closer look inside their cool and contemporary interior, and take note of the inspiring tech that can also be used in less tropical climes.

A family affair
With six bedrooms and six bathrooms, an open-plan living, dining and kitchen area and a luxurious media room, this property needed a central system that was reliable and easy to use. “A Savant set up has been used to control the tech throughout the home including security and access, with lighting, blind and HVAC by Lutron,” says Ahmed Refai at Archimedia.
“For multi-room audio we fitted tech from Sonos and Bowers & Wilkins. The home was a core and shell when we started to install its tech and it was only the HVAC units that were already fitted. But we managed to make sure they worked with the Savant system we put in. For the rest of the tech, we worked closely with the owners who had a clear idea of what they liked and didn’t like.”

Contemporary interior setting
To create a sophisticated backdrop for the high-end gadgets inside, smooth, marble and glass surfaces play an important part in the interior design, blending seamlessly with their surrounding surfaces. “We worked alongside Cubics Design & Decor who were responsible for styling the interior,” explains Ahmed. “The owners only wanted the glass finishes of the gadgets to be visible and wanted the rest discreetly integrated into the interior design.”
A neutral black, grey and white interior colour palette is used throughout, softened by glamorous lighting, pared-down pale brown leather sofas and a flawless wooden floor. In the open-plan kitchen area for example, black and white Corian worktops create a streamlined feel, which looks all the more luxurious basking in the glow of the lit marble backdrop that frames the Samsung 4K smart TV. In this open-plan area, the lighting, curtains and HVAC can be controlled automatically, while the TV is linked up to a Kaleidescape system that gives the owners access to an impressive digital library of movies.

Cinema style at home
One of the most stylish spaces in the home is the media room, which is the perfect environment for the family to watch TV, movies and listen to music. It’s here that stunning black glass cladding framing an 80-inch Sony TV makes a stylish design statement, while providing the family with a space to enjoy all the latest entertainment. “The music and home cinema system was the most important aspect of the system in this installation,” says Ahmed, “so most of the budget was spent here. The wall cladding was designed with black glass so that it would match the TV when it was off.”
To ensure the owners feel like they’re immersed in the action every time they watch a movie, the room was acoustically treated and the lights, blinds and HVAC can be centrally controlled. A 5.1 home cinema system with Bowers & Wilkins Custom Theatre speakers and subwoofers and Integra SSP and Amplification was also fitted. “All the speakers and subwoofers in this room were hidden behind acoustically transparent fabric,” notes Ahmed. Again, the Kaleidescape system gives the owners access to a vast library of movies on the big screen.

When the family aren’t enjoying what the large Sony media-room TV screen has to offer, they can retreat to their bedrooms, which all feature flush fitted Samsung TVs. In one of the children’s bedrooms, an eye-catching circular partition even holds a TV on one side and a small DJ recording system on the other.
In the master bathroom, the owners can also make use of a stylish mirror TV, which is ideal for both catching up with the news at sunrise and unwinding in the bath with one of their favourite TV shows after dark.

“We wanted to make sure we delivered an amazing experience in this home,” says Ahmed, “and we’re sure we met the brief as the family are delighted with the results. My advice for anyone embarking on a similar project is to spend time with your integrator and have in-depth discussions at the beginning of the journey to figure out what you like and don’t like – that way you can make sure you get the right system that fits you.”